Disclaimer:
Due to the large amount of sermons and topics that appear on this site I feel it is necessary to post this disclaimer on all sermons posted. These sermons are original to the author and the leading of the Holy Spirit. While ideas and illustrations are often gleaned from many sources including those at Sermoncentral.com, any similarities and wording including sermon title, that may appear to be the same as any other sermon are purely coincidental. In instances where other minister’s wording is used, due recognition will be given. These sermons are not copyrighted and may be used or preached freely. May God richly bless you as you read these words. It is my sincere desire that all who read them may be enriched. All scriptures quoted in these sermons are copies and quoted from the Authorized King James Version of the Holy Bible.
Pastor James May
God Loves a Cheerful Quitter!
Illustration:
In the year 1836, the Republic of Texas was fighting for its life after some very costly battles with the Mexican General Santa Anna. In the opening days of this campaign to reclaim Texas for Mexico, Santa Anna had to face the Texians, as they were called then, at a lonely mission outpost known as the Alamo.
Outnumbered greatly, legend says that the commander, Col. Travis drew a line on the ground with his sword and, after making a patriotic call, asked every man willing to give his life for Texas to cross that line. The same legend says that only one man did not cross the line. His name was Louis Rose and he was the one that supposedly told the story that the legend is based upon.
Within 24 hours every man who had crossed the line was dead. They had all given their best, their lives, their fortunes and their homes in an effort to bring freedom from the tyranny of the Mexican Army. Their lives were given for a cause that was great and a cause they deemed more important than life itself.
In the Old Testament book of I Samuel, chapter 17 we can read of the account of David and Goliath. It’s a story that all of us are familiar with but I want to call your attention to verse 29.
1 Samuel 17:29, "And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?"
David’s own brothers had become angry with him because he was shaming them for having run from Goliath and the army of the Philistines. Some had made statement to David that he should be at home keeping the sheep and leave the fighting to real men.
That didn’t deter David. He knew that Israel was God’s chosen nation and that his God was real and would not fail. David’s cause wasn’t so much the defeat Goliath, or to protect Israel. His cause was to serve his God and fight against any who would mock the God of Israel.
Christian brothers and sisters, we are fighting a battle for freedom also. Our great cause is the freedom and deliverance of men, women and youth who will face eternal damnation and the prison of hell if we don’t win this battle. Jesus has drawn a line in the sand, spiritually speaking, and has asked, “Who will step across that line and give your all to win the war against sin?”
Luke 10:2-4, "Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves. Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way."
Jesus sent out his disciples with the words above. He is still seeking those who will cross the line and commit their all to the cause of Christ and winning the lost at any cost.
Those who cross the line must realize that there is a price to pay for victory. It will mean either victory or death for there can be no surrender. To surrender in the war against sin is the same as death for the penalties are the same. Satan takes no prisoners. He is not here to capture you and hold you in prison until Jesus comes. His job is to steal, kill and destroy and don’t every forget it.
I want to remind you that once the men of the Alamo had crossed that line it meant either win or die and when David crossed that valley to meet Goliath head to head, he knew it was either win or die.
The men of the Alamo knew death was certain but they chose to die in the fight rather than give up and live a life of mediocrity under the thumb of a dictatorial government.
David knew that God would not allow Goliath to win and had faith in the victory. I’m not so sure that David knew he would live through the battle or not but he committed his life and his faith into God’s hands and trusted God for the final victory.
When we cross the line and commit our lives to Christ we must understand that there is no turning back. It’s a do or die battle to the end. We have to put our trust and faith in God for the final outcome just like David and realize that we win in the end no matter what happens. We must also have the same heart felt commitment as the defenders of the Alamo in knowing that even if we die physically, our life is nothing compared to the greater cause of winning souls and making Heaven our home for eternity.
If we are to join this battle for souls in God’s army we must realize a few facts from the verses in Luke 10:2-4.
1)We are outnumbered vastly in the battlefield.
There are far more unsaved than there are saved in the world. If you were to look around you and realize that so very few of the people you meet every day are going to Heaven. Most will spend eternity in hell. That’s a sobering thought.
There a few people, who call themselves Christian, that are concerned about lost souls. Most people in our churches are too self-centered to worry about others. Thank God for those who are concerned and who are doing all they can to reach out to those who need Jesus. They are so few by comparison.
1 John 4:4, "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world."
That’s the good news that I have to share with you. You may be outnumbered but you are still stronger because Jesus is on the inside and it is always His will that we should spread the gospel message to a lost world. You are always walking in the Lord’s will to witness of his saving Grace and Mercy, and of His shed blood on Calvary’s cross.
2)Laboring the field of God’s harvest is not going to be easy.
Not only will you be trying to reach souls who won’t hear your message but also you will have to face every demon power to reach them. Satan won’t go away quietly without a fight.
How many times have we seen people who really prayed through to a glorious experience in Christ and who we know by their countenance that they received salvation from Jesus and yet, a few months later we find them right back in their old lifestyle?
Satan won’t stop trying to keep those that belong to him. Thank God that Jesus has the last words though, and no soul who really wants to come to the Lord can be stopped by the powers of hell.
Not only will Satan and other people try to stop you in the harvest but the fields are hot and dry and its just plain hard work. Ask any missionary, any evangelist, any pastor or anyone who spreads the gospel and they will all tell you that it’s not easy.
Some may have to endure great pain and hardships. Others may have to endure great persecution from the unbelievers. Others will be required to give up everything to answer the call to some foreign land. Each of us, whether in our nation or a foreign nation will have our own burdens to bear.
No matter how hard the battle gets or how tired we are from the work of the harvest, we must continue on for the cause is too great to stop. Jesus will make a way of escape from every trial and He will give us the grace to withstand every hardship.
3)We are being sent forth as sheep among wolves, in harm’s way.
Jesus told those early disciples that they would face persecution and even death in the course of their duties. We are exempt from those same circumstances.
We don’t need to worry about what path is there, just walk it. We don’t need to worry about providing for the necessities of life for Jesus has promised to take care of the things we need. If he feeds the birds, clothes the flowers, causes the rain to fall on dry ground, what makes us think that he can’t handle our financial, physical or emotional needs?
He is Jehovah-Jireh, my Provider. I will step out as a defenseless sheep into a world of wolves because He is my strong and mighty tower. He is my refuge and my strength. It is not in my strength that this battle will be won, it is His strength.
Paul refers to this same commitment to the Harvest of God when he speaks to the Corinthian church in 1 Corinthians 16:13-14, "Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. Let all your things be done with charity."
This is the source of the title of today’s message in case you were wondering why God would Love a Cheerful Quitter.
The definition of “quit” that we want to examine is this: To discharge, as an obligation or duty; to meet and satisfy, as a claim or debt; to make payment for or of; to requite; to repay and to meet the claims upon, or expectations entertained of
When Paul was telling the Corinthian Christians to quit, he wasn’t telling them to stop doing their best for Christ but he was saying just the opposite.
Just as Jesus loves a cheerful giver, He also loves a cheerful Quitter!
Just watch those who give of their finances and their time in the tithes and offerings and you will begin to see those who do so cheerfully and those who do so grudgingly.
If we give to God out of a sense of duty and really don’t want to, our offering is not acceptable to God. Not that the church won’t be able to use it but the reward of the giver is removed because of his personal attitude. If we give to God gladly, with a feeling of being privileged to give to God’s work, with no thought of regret, then God’s blessings will be upon not only our offering, but we will receive a reward for our faithfulness.
That’s the same way it works in our service to His kingdom and the work in the harvest fields. Jesus is looking for those who will not just give their lives to Him in service, but for those who will do so gladly and joyfully.
I see those from time to time who are involved in a ministry for the Lord and they begrudge every inconvenience. If they are required to stay up late to talk to a brother or sister in trouble, they gripe about it all the next day. If they are asked to do an unpleasant task around the church, they will balk and find and excuse not to do what is asked of them. If they have to fast, pray or study, they have a long face and everyone around knows of the great sacrifices upon their time and energy.
These folks had just as well sit home and do nothing because there will be no reward for their work. They have no real commitment and just as Louis Rose at the Alamo, if a line were drawn that required total commitment, they would not cross it but run away to their own self-centered life of comfort while others paid the price of victory.
Has God called you to a ministry? If He has, be a man or woman of God and Quit!
I don’t mean give up and walk away from it, I mean stick to it and do your ministry with all your might! Do it with joy, with thanksgiving for an opportunity to serve Christ and your fellowman, with happiness in knowing that you are doing God’s will, and do it quickly and without fail knowing that souls are hanging in the balance.
Don’t be a wet noodle minister who can’t stand the fight! Get in there and put your spiritual fist in the face of the Devil and say to him those immortal words of Clint Eastwood, “Come on; make my day!”
God never saved us for a life of perfect ease or for a bed of roses. He saved us by His grace, washed us in the blood of the Lamb, lifted us out of the miry clay, set our feet upon the Rock, Jesus Christ, and then says to us in, Mark 16:15, "…Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."
The United States Marines have a slogan that says, “When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.”
I pray God that every one of you in our home church, and every Christian in God’s army would have that same motto.
So what if things are tough, get tougher than the circumstances. If you get knocked down, discouraged, bruised in the fight, then fall do like one speaker that heard say.
If you must get knocked down, fall on your back. That way you can still reach up and punch the Devil in the nose while you are getting back on your feet!
I get so tired of those who are in ministry who have no time or energy for their ministry. If you don’t have enough vision to get in there and fight then either get down on your knees and pray for a new vision or get out of the way and let someone else who will.
There are no acceptable excuses for not being in place for the battle. If you are a preacher then preach; if you are a singer then sing; if you are a youth leader then lead the youth by example, not by words; if you are a children’s worker then get ready for a lot of work and time commitment for the children’s sake. How can we ever expect to win people to Christ if all we are ever concerned about is our own little world?
Most Christians pray, “God bless me and my four and no more” when we should be praying, “God, whatever it takes, for as long as it takes, I will serve you and my fellowman to see souls saved”.
Yes, I know the battle is hot. I know the way is hard. I know the world doesn’t want to hear your message. I know it requires a lot of inconvenience. I know it requires a great commitment. But, I also know that Jesus is my Lord and I have a job to do.
It really grieves the Holy Spirit within the church to see those who claim to love Jesus but can’t get to church for any little reason and yet, come Monday morning, they will be at work even if they are half dead. God help us to have a greater commitment to Him than the ordinary Christian.
Jesus is drawing a line in the sand today! He is looking for those who will commit their all to His kingdom.
Will you be one who steps across that line? Are you willing to give your all for Jesus?
Jesus went to the cross and died for you and I. He gave His all for us. Can we do any less for Him?
If you are saved, thank Jesus and keep your commitment strong! Heaven is waiting and there are souls waiting for you to reach them with the gospel.
If you aren’t saved, repent, ask Jesus to come into your heart and then commit your life to Him. You will never be sorry.
Jesus loves a cheerful quitter! One who will fulfill the great expectations that God has of his Children.
